


foolish. FOOLISH. FOOLISH!!!

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, AvPD Napstablook, Concussions, Crack Relationships, Defense Mechanisms, Developing Relationship, Eventual Fluff, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, It's an animal town, Love Confessions, Mad dummy's a trainer and it's pretty great, Muffet owns a bakery, NPD Mettaton, Other, Past Child Abuse, Pets, Physical Abuse, Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Silent Dummy is my angel baby, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, burgerpants smoke weed everyday, second-guessing, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-05-26 21:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6257242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>M.D, known throughout the Temmie Village as Mad Dummy for their unique training tactic, enters the bakery next door for the first time as a favor to their cousin. Almost immediately, they're smitten with the lovely, kind lady behind the counter. After acting 'FOOLISH! FOOLISH! FOOOOLISH!!!', they vow never to return, not wanting to go back and flounder again. But, you know, it's just their luck that they've got a hopeless romantic for a cousin.<br/>Teen for suggestive language, violence, and language. Like, cursing. Not like, French.<br/>This is a human AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death By Glamour

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! If you're following the Adventures in Subteran series, this comes after Chapter Three of the main work in the series, "The Crabapple Children." You should read up to there if you want to follow the series, but this also works as a standalone! Enjoy. I'm trying to leave these arcs short and sweet but I know I won't be able to help myself. So these are just cute things to keep me creative.
> 
> Also Skateboard Girl's name is Natasha but it's barely used  
> MD = Madeline Dominica  
> SD = Selena Diane  
> Muffet is Muffet's actual name she was teased a little for it but just told everyone off because she savage
> 
> Also yall should go eat Lychee its fly af

"Out! Jenny, it's time to go. GO!" Opening the door and pointing, MD looked at the rather annoying dog that had, again, managed to make it's way into their gym. It stopped by almost every single morning, just when they were about to open, too. Sure, it was only six in the morning, but what's your point!? Wasn't it a GOOD thing to get an early start to the day, huh? The dog just looked up to the trainer with happy eyes. MD took to calling the little puppy Jenny. It gave an excited bark and ran out the door.  _Finally._  

It was far too early to celebrate. Just as MD finished sweeping up the stray dog hairs, dusting everything with some lemon scented cleaning solvent, and spraying Lysol everywhere so no one would get allergies, their cell phone rang. They just couldn't get a SECOND of peace and quiet before the next distraction, huh? Oh, it was their cousin. Well, the more flashy, annoying, idiotic, show-offy cousin, at least. How strange, he was never really one to wake up before nine, especially on a Saturday. 

"What do you want?" They spoke in this pitchy, irritated voice at almost all times. 

"Oh, it's so good to hear from you too, cousin of mine! How long has it been since we've called? A month, two even?"

"Mettaton. It's. Been. Three. DAYS!!" MD heaved a very aggravated sigh and put the cleaning supplies back in the closet. It may not sound like it, but MD really did like their family. They simply had their own way of showing it; They beat up whoever messed with their loved ones. 

They cringed at the smooth laughter that flowed through the speaker of the phone. "I know that, Maddie. Now, I need you to do a favor for me. You know that bakery near you? You know, the one literally across the street? I've placed an order for a party today, and I told her that I needed it ready by four this evening, since my party starts at five. Could you maybe drop those off for me?" Four's in the afternoon, you-- Ugh.

"First of all, DON'T CALL ME MADDIE. Secondly, yeah, okay. I'll be over maybe at four thirty." MD stretched upwards, their phone between their chin and neck, dark olive hands raised towards the ceiling as they yelled through the phone. They looked out the glass door as they stretched downwards, a white kitten streaking down the street as they watched. There were too many stray animals in this part of town, but they were all friendly enough. 

"Oh, could you please come as soon as it's ready, actually? You're such a doll, Maddie. Thanks a million. I would ask you to stay around for the celebration, but it's up to you, really. It may help business! And you're welcome to bring a guest or two. Blooky's bringing Shyren, even though I told them that I was inviting her anyways..." MD tuned their cousin out as they reached for their toes.

Up to you = I'm pretty much forcing you to close your business early, putting you in fancy clothes, and making you walk around for hours introducing yourself to all my fans. I'm not doing it to help your business, but I'll say I'm doing it for that purpose. In reality, I'm doing it because you need friends who will put up with you, even if it's just because you're my cousin.

At least, that's how MD saw it, anyways. Who needs friends? They had knives. And work. "Ugh, okay. I might let Skateboard Girl tag along. She's stopping by later today, so." They leaned to the left, and then to the right. 

"Oh, how lovely! That's all for now. I'll make you two look absolutely beautiful! Good-bye for now, my favorite Dummy!" With a click, Mettaton hung up. MD had an urge to throw their phone at the wall. Mad Dummy was their unfortunate nickname, partly because of their initials and partly because of the truly unbridled rage that they kept in them.

They used that anger in their job. An angry trainer for defense, martial arts, and boxing was probably the best thing you could have. But what made them angry? Well, their family, for one. Mettaton was so hoity-toity, Napstablook was so meek and kept to theirself far too often, and SD, the only other trainer at the gym (Usually called Silent Dummy, as they didn't speak very often and worked on things like gymnastics and exercise instead of fighting) was always letting theirself get walked over and picked on. 

It just riled them up! It made them so angry and furious all the time, and there was no was to relieve this unbridled energy. Their job suited them. MD swung the sign over the doorknob from CLOSED to OPEN and went to go wake SD upstairs. 

* * *

 

"Put your back into it, girl!" MD expertly dodged the punch thrown by their friend, known as That One Girl That Skateboards A Lot, or Skateboard Girl. They were trying to teach her how to put people into holds. "Come on! Are you even TRYING??" She met their taunts with another punch. It caught MD in the stomach, and they stumbled. 

All that chair breaking nonsense on television was mostly staged. MD would have no part of that nonsense when Skateboard Girl approached them, asking about 'all these cool wrestling moves' she saw on TV. She said she wanted to learn how wrestle. They scoffed and said that  _real_  wrestling was an art. REAL WRESTLING WAS A SKILL THAT TOOK TIME TO MASTER!!! YOU DON'T JUST BREAK CHAIRS OVER PEOPLES HEADS!!! So, they offered to teach her the art, an after half a year, there was an improvement.

Skateboard Girl put MD in a headlock, and brought them to the ground. Their 'student' applied some sort of hold that involved sitting on them and interlocking their limbs into hers, causing a lot of pain. "I submit." MD tried to hold up a hand, but they were currently pretty tied up. 

Skateboard Girl untangled herself from them. "I did good, right? I'm so cool! I'm gonna show Fuku all my wrestling moves." MD rolled their eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"So, did you want to get a slushie or something? Fuku's probably waiting on me right now."

"Actually, I can't. Because I HAVE TO DELIVER THIS FOOD FOR METTATON!!! Oh, he's having a party. Did you want to come? You could bring Fuku, too."  When MD went to school, they were pretty good friends with those two. But then they graduated and went on to start a business from the funds MTT allowed them. They still talked a lot. MD's only friends were a sophmore and a junior. That's a bit sad, considering they were... What, twenty in a month? Gosh.

"That's cool, but I'll pass. His parties aren't really my thing. Well, see you next week, unless you're free tomorrow." She left fairly quickly, pretty much bumping into Undyne on her way in. "Hey, MD!" Undyne grinned at the trainer, waving an arm around broadly. 

"SD's in the room next door. Don't BREAK ANYTHING THIS TIME!" MD had an issue with Undyne, seeing as they needed to buy, like, three new fencing swords when she went through that whole fencing phase, and once she almost stabbed SD and scared them half to death. 

"Yeah, whatever! I'll do what I want!" They both had the same sort of... angry humor. "Hey, you're going to MTT's party today, right? Alphys is taking me! You probably need to take a shower and get changed and all that, you know. Mettaton really HATES messy dress, but I'm sure you know that!"

"Duh. He's so finicky. Anyways, I'm supposed to pick up, like food for him or something? From that place across the street, uhm..." Thy turned towards the glass doors and squinted. "Little Miss Muffet's. I've actually never been there before. I mean, sweets are good and all, but... Eh." They shrugged.

"Dude. I go to Muffet's like, every week! The food's actually good, but... between you and me, the place is crawling with spiders. I think it's a gimmick? You know, Miss Muffet, and that whole rhyme, and spiders? I've never found one in my food, so I don't care either way. She's  kinda finicky, so yeah. Unless you want those snide comments she makes, go get changed."

* * *

 

MD didn't own any fancy clothes. They had training clothes, like yoga paints and loose shirts, and then they had jeans and t-shirts with ironic sayings on them, like " _My other car is a T.A.R.D.I.S."_ and  _"Knife to meet you."_ They weren't really ironic, but they spoke to MD in ways that people could not. Their current shirt was long-sleeved, because fall was just around the corner, and it read " _Keep Calm and Train On."_ It had a picture of a dumbbell on it. It wasn't as loose as the clothes that they usually wore, and it showed how toned their arms were. 

"SD, you can hold up the fort, right? I'm gone." Without waiting for an answer, and with the yells of Undyne slowly fading as they closed the door, MD crossed the street, almost stepping on a beagle when they got to the sidewalk again. "These damn..." They wanted to get angry, but as they reached down to pet the animal, they found it was really difficult to get mad at something as cute as a dog.

They opened the door to the bakery. Instantly, the smell of bread and icing filled their nose, and they inhaled deeply. "Nice." 

"Oh, hello, dear! Welcome to my shop." The woman behind the counter laced her hands together, a big tarantula resting on her shoulder. MD almost bolted out the door. Undyne had warned them that spiders were everywhere, but they didn't seem to comprehend that spiders were  _literally everywhere_ in the store. Webs were spun in spaces between the wall and floor, and two small arachnids raced across the counter top. One crawled up the leg of a table where two teenaged girls were sitting. One of them screeched.

They finally tore their eyes from the eight-legged menaces that plagued this horror shop, to the woman at the register. Her black hair was pulled into two, straight pigtails, and her eyes were either a very very dark brown or a black.  It seemed she was wearing makeup, but it wasn't tacky. Earth tones lightly dusted her eyes and coated her lips, and purple glitter was sprinkled across her cheeks. It complimented her beige skin. She was really pretty.

She smiled patiently at the trainer, giving a little wave. "Are you here to order, or are you just going to stare at me a little while longer? I'm fine with either one, as long as you do order eventually."

MD's mind went blank. They realized that they probably looked like an idiot, openly gaping at this lady as if she was on display like the cakes under the counter. They managed to get out a "Sorry," cautiously taking a step towards the counter, looking down at the ground. They really didn't want to step on any spiders. That's, like, you know, bad house manners.

"Oh, don't worry, dear. I don't bite." Her voice had more than a bit of a giggle to it. Mad Dummy raised an eyebrow, leaning down to examine some little... sandwich looking things. Only they were all completely one color, like bright pink or brown or blue. "What are these thingies?" They tapped the glass part of  the counter that displayed the treats.

Little Miss Muffet leaned down to see what they were pointing at, quickly standing up again. "French Macarons. Would you like one?" MD stayed down, checking the price quickly. Yeesh, four dollars for this? That was pretty steep. "Er... No thanks. I'm here to pick up an order."

But... The flavors looked so interesting. Lavender rose lychee, pale purple passion fruit.  Now what was a lychee? That sounded pretty cool. Was it a fruit? Was it some sort of dairy product? There was no way to find out except for purchasing it... No. No, they would NOT spend their money on some... some pretty colored sandwich. Maybe.

They stood back up again, only to see the woman propping her elbows on her counter and her head on her arms. "Are you having fun, there?" Her tone wasn't entirely condescending, it was some other emotion that MD had never heard in a voice. The mere possibility that snark might've been in her voice was enough to make them pretty ticked. "Only children are as interested in those things as you are."

"Well, they-- Er. They look like little sandwiches."

Did they SERIOUSLY just say that out loud?? They drummed their fingers on the table and waited for Muffet to stop snickering. "So! So!! SO!!! I'm here to a pick up an order for my cousin, Mettaton."

The two teenaged girls that were eating at the table looked at MD sharply when they said that.

"Oh my god, that guy is Mettaton's cousin?"

"I thought he only had one. The DJ guy."

"Maybe he's lying."

Yeah, that was the typical response. MD was never mentioned on Mettaton's show for their own convenience. They didn't need those ruthless fangirls and fanboys running up to their gym and asking them for introductions to Mettaton. They really didn't want to yell at  some eighth grader who claimed to be "in love."

"Oh, yes. Mettaton told me that you'd be coming, dear! May I please see some identification?" Right, right. MD dug around in their wallet until they found their driver's license. After taking a quick glance at it, the woman started piling boxes on the counter.

"Jesus Christ." They knew it was a party, but gosh. Did they really have to carry all this across the street, pile it into their car, drive the twenty goddamn miles to Mettaton's house, and then unload the boxes on whatever pretty pink buffet table he had? And all the food was pink, too! There were even some of those sandwich-macaron thingies in there. The lychee ones. And a cake with little rose swirls.

"Ugh. Gag me."

How offensive could they even be? While they were mentally punching theirself for seriously saying that out loud, Muffet put a hand over her chest in mock surprise. "Honestly, there's no need to be so uppity, sweet."

MD felt so embarrassed. "Sorry. Pink just isn't, you know. My thing, personally. That was more directed at my cousin than you. I bet it tastes good, though.  Even if it was like, I don't know. Some really gross color."

"Well, gagging isn't really my thing, either, sweetie, but I haven't said anything yet." Savage. MD could feel their ears burning. "Anyways! I'll be, taking this. So. See you? I guess. I think. Maybe." 

"Well, since you'll be at this shindig today, maybe so." MD wasn't really going to be at the party. They were just going to coexist at the same time as the party, and in the same area. They didn't plan on doing anything very partyesque.

And now they knew they would be going to a party-- COEXISTING AT THE SAME TIME AS A PARTY-- with someone who they'd been a fool in front of. Just great.

* * *

"Maddiekins, you look so adorable!" MD could think of a few choice words to say back, but held their tongue. They were not adorable. This... attention-grabbing red dress was not adorable, and these heels that made the tall trainer look even taller were  _definitely_ not adorable.

So that's why MTT just couldn't get the damn food himself. It was simply a ruse to get them to come over, practically hoist them and SD over his shoulders to his "dressing room," which, by the way, is codeword for "fancy-ass bathroom," and make them look "ravenous" and "charming." Pah! Who needs it, really? "MTT," They tried to keep their voice even and turned towards their cousin, "Is this really necess--"

MD interrupted theirself with a loud string of curses. Be creative here. "YOU JUST BURNT MY EAR!!!" Why did their hair even need to be curled? It looked fine, really. MD shaved one half of their head weeks ago, and the other was was choppy and looked cool!! "Alright, I'm done! Now I just need to do your makeup." 

Makeup. OF COURSE!!! Because Mettaton couldn't just let them look normal, right? Nope!! They had to look like some clown!! MD closed their eyes and let their cousin put some sort of stuff on it, and then around it, and then on their cheeks, and then around their lips, and then on their lips. When MD finally mustered the courage to look at their face in the mirror, it was the freakiest thing ever. The only sign that the trainer was still looking at theirself was the scar that ran from the top of their forehead to their right cheekbone. And even still, that had been obscured by the stuff MTT had slathered upon their face. They look a nail and traced along it, removing copious amounts of makeup along the pale white line. They were proud of that scar.

"RAAARGH!!" They screeched, wanting to tear off this new face bit by bit and put their old face back on it again. This face looked...weird. Wasn't there a pimple there this morning? Where'd it go? "What is this. WHAT IS THIS?? WHAT IS THIS!?" Mettaton just chuckled. "Foundation, dear, and concealers. You need to look your best, after all. I just wish you'd let me cover that horrendous scar." Hahah!! That's one of the reasons why MD was proud of it, right there.

This wasn't 'their best.' This was gross! MD wanted to wipe their face with their arm just to see how much makeup would come off. They wanted to dunk their face in a bucket of cold water and watch the colors from their cousin's MTT-brand kit of  _idiocity_ float away. Oh, if the star wasn't their cousin, he would definitely have another thing coming--!!

But unfortunately, he was. And unfortunately, MD had to put up with his glamorous antics because they loved their cousin, even if he was an idiot that didn't know how to take no for an answer. "Alright, honey, get up. SD, could you come over here?" The other trainer that tagged along when MD drove over shuffled wordlessly to MTT.

MD stood up and watched as their more glamorous cousin turned their selectively mute one into a flurry of pastel yellow and blue colors. Well, it did look good on SD, anyway. They're very soft and sweet colors, and it reflected the trainer's personality. MD looked down at their own outfit, picking at the fringe of that ridiculous dress. Did that fiery red represent MD? Well, normally, hell yeah it did! MD loved to be fiery and throw knives at walls and scream!! But when it came to social situations... Ehh. They were more of a salmon. Or a beige. 

* * *

SD had to stand at the door and greet guests as they entered, and MD was sort of like security. They couldn't believe that their cousin dressed them up in this STUPID RED DRESS just to treat them like a bouncer. Unbelievable. A lot of the guests were MTT's fancy party friend-people, like this woman with blue hair and red fingernails. Some of them were his employees, like the man with a tired expression that had to be "asked" twice by MD to put his cigarette out. Unless that was weed. There was a high chance that was weed. SD fell silent after the first small "welcome" they gave, and MD couldn't blame them. These people were really intimidating. MD just hoped they didn't start sweating or crying, as their cousin actually seemed happy to go to this party. Ugh, why would ya?

A lot of people were actually people MD knew, however. Undyne was invited by Alphys, who was basically the cousins' sister since she babysat them when they were younger and helped kickstart MTT's big career. Undyne showed up in this bright blue suit. The trainer pretended to avert their eyes, and got a friendly box on the shoulder for it. Alphys waved meekly, and seemed to be having an okay time, even though she spent most of it in discussion with her girlfriend. Those two were huge nerds.

Napstablook and Shyren arrived at the precise time of five'o'clock. The melancholy cousin gave SD a hug as they arrived, and offered MD a small wave. They had on a little baby blue top hat. Shyren adjusted it on their head and told them that they looked dapper. Man, were those two dating? If not, they probably needed to be. Shyren was the only friend of Napstablook that MD approved of, mainly because Shyren was Napstablook's only friend. 

If it weren't for MTT, this whole family would have looked like a bunch of losers, huh? 

There were a lot of... eccentric characters mixed in, as well. Apparently Alphys invited some dorklord called Payprus becuase he really really wanted to see Mettaton, and in fact, spent about half of his time talking to the star. He looked really excited and talked louder than most of the other people at the shindig. It was almost as if he didn't have a filter. His brother tagged along, too. 

This guy, he even entered in a strange way. He knocked on the door, so SD opened it, and then he knocked again. "No, look, you're supposed to say 'who's there.'" 

"Who's... there..." SD's voice was barely above a whisper and could barely be heard over the noise inside, but maybe this short guy could read lips. "Iva."

"Iva who?"

"I've-a sore hand from knocking." 

He literally spent the rest of the night telling jokes to SD and ignoring the evil eye that the more angry trainer would give him when they could. Was this flirting? Was he just trying to get the quiet dork to laugh? What was this? SD looked more spooked than amused. MD ran a thumb across their neck. 

And finally, the last guest arrived within the 'fashionably late' timeframe of thirty minutes. Jeez, these were all very punctual people. Surprise, Surprise-- It was Muffet, and everything about her looked great. Well, except for the spider crawling along her hand and the thin webs that trailed off her fingers. Other than that, she looked pretty nice.

She shook the webs off, put the spider in her handbag, (Could it breathe in there? Did she poke holes into it or something?) and took MD by the arm. She spun them around once. "Mettaton does clean up nicely."

Oh, really?? Mettaton cleaned up nicely, huh?? Not, you know, the guy being forced into the outfit, and OWNING IT!? Of course not!! MD tried to hide their own anger and clenched their fists. It didn't help that this woman was taller than them, or that she was nicer looking. 

"So!!" Their voice was too loud as they turned to their cousin and that short man. The guy seemed to figure out that SD didn't really like talking, and especially not in crowded areas. So he let them use hand gestures. It went a little bit like this:

"Knock knock?" SD would shrug or make another exaggerated 'who's there' gesture.

"Dozen." SD held up twelve fingers and then shrugged again.

"Dozen-yone wanna let me in?" 

Sometimes SD would even laugh. They at least looked to be having a fun time, and they didn't look scared anymore. "I'm done here. You know where to find me if you need me, right, SD?" MD pointed to the vacant couch. Their cousin nodded.

"Oh, you're just going to sit there?" MD jumped. Did this woman really expect them to hang around in this uncomfortable environment and do _party stuff_? What do you even do at a party? Just sit around and talk or dance or whatever? "This is your cousin's house, right, darling? Don't you want to show me around?" Hah, they really didn't. They'd rather keep an eye on their cousin and eat the macaron thingies.

MD glanced at their silent cousin and shrugged. SD put both of their thumbs up, showing that it was okay. "Find me if you need me, alright?"  Their cousin nodded. 

"Fine. I  _guess_ I could show you around. If you want, I mean!! It's not that impressive. It's just a house."

About thirty seconds into this little 'tour' it became painfully obvious that Muffet was using this as an excuse to chit-chat. MD wondered if MTT paid her to talk to them. It wouldn't really be below him.

"So, that little quiet one is your cousin, right?" They nodded. "They seem like a sweetheart." Another nod. "Is business alright? Oh, for me it's been awfully slow. I'm so happy for this party, dear." They nodded again. Maybe business would be better if prices were lower. They didn't dare say that. And why did this feel like an interrogation!?

Muffet sighed. "You're pretty awkward, dear."  Whoa, blunt. As if they didn't know this already. "Don't you know how to even initiate conversation?" Obviously not! Urgh, this chick was even worse than MTT. 

"Okay, first of all, EXCUSE YOU!! I'm GREAT at talking to people, actually." They'd wandered into the dining room and sat down, looking up to frown at Muffet. Of course, they had to bluff. "And second of all, you're NOT making this easy, considering all you're doing is asking me really dumb yes or no questions that no one really cares about the answer to. I'm expecting YOU to initiate this conversation, since you're the one who dragged me, like, the twenty feet over here." 

Muffet sat down beside them and raised an eyebrow. She was trying not to smile. "Alright. Now, since we've both just made it clear that we expect the other to initiate a conversation, why don't you just start it and say something that isn't 'a really dumb yes or no question that no one really cares about the answer to?'" She made her voice pitchier to imitate them.

"Argh!!" They put their head down at the table. "Fine." Their voice came out muffled. "Well, what's with the whole spider thing? Undyne said it was a gimmick, but how did you even get so many spiders to start out with??" 

That was a pretty good question. MD mentally pat theirself on the back. "Well," Muffet leaned back and folded her hands neatly, "I always really did like spiders. So, the home next to mine had a huge infestation, so I went over with a jar and I collected some. I keep them at home and bring some to work. Do you have any animals,  like spiders or whatnot?" 

Whoa, conversation!!! "No. But this dog comes over a lot, I named her Jenny, because one of my acquaintances, Alphys. has a friend called Endogeny who really likes puppies. So, Jenny. En-dog-Jenny. Do you know Alphys? I think she's here, I could point her out." MD began glancing around, trying to find Alphys or her tall girlfriend in the crowd.

"Don't worry. I know Alphys, Undyne does come over a lot to get food." How? That stuff was so expensive, gosh. "She sounds sweet, from how much Undyne gushes about her." 

"She's pretty cool, but a total anime nerd. If I have to hear about how SAO season two sucked, I SWEAR--" They covered their mouth and looked around. They didn't mean to get so loud, it just happens. 

They seemed to be pretty good at making Muffet laugh, at least. 

"Oh, darlings!" Oh God, no. Not now, please. MTT sat down next to MD, that Papyrus fanboy not in sight. "I didn't mean to interrupt," He obviously did, "But I saw the two of you talking and I couldn't help it. How's everything?" 

"Everything is just fine, Mettaton. Your cousin here, what was it--" Muffet seemed to be thinking back, "Madeline, was it? Isn't that what your ID said?" MD cringed. "Please. just call me MD. Everyone else does." 

"Oh, alright. MD here was just showing me around and we stopped to talk." MTT fluttered his lashes. "Oh, how sweet of you, Maddie. I never knew you to be so nice!" He clasped his hands together just as MD rolled their eyes. Oh, give them a  _break._

"Tch!! I was forced to, against my will. I never knew bakers could be so ruthless! RUTHLESS, I say!!" MD hit a hand on the table to add to their theatrics. They were lucky that they weren't the only loud person in the area, since Undyne's 'inside voice' was the equivalent to the normal person shouting. 

Great, now both MTT and Muffet were laughing at them. This day really couldn't get any better. "Truly, Mettaton," Muffet spoke with a bit of a giggle in her voice again, "Your cousin is so sweet." 

"I'm not! And I'm right here, you know! I'm the opposite of sweet--" 

And thats basically how the rest of the night went. Occasionally MD would glance back to see how SD was doing, and eventually they weren't by the door anymore. They probably went home. 

Muffet made them try one of the macarons, in the brightest pink possible just to annoy them. It actually tasted really good. Maybe it was worth four dollars, maybe not. Maybe three fifty. But what did MD know? They couldn't cook and they certainly couldn't bake. 

But by the end of the night, which wasn't as painfully long as MD anticipated, they considered Muffet a friend. 


	2. Very Very Loud Introvert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MD has a broken phone, an inferiority complex, and a video of them punching someone out on camera.  
> Muffet is not pleased. Not in the slightest.  
> MTT laughed way too loudly, it wasn't even that funny.  
> SD rocks the cat-walk-way-photo-shoot-thingy, man. Rocks it.

"Okay, but CONSIDER THIS!" MD yelled so loud that they startled SD upstairs. The other trainer ran down the stairs to check on their loud cousin. They deemed that nothing was wrong and raced back up the stairs again. It was pretty tough living with such a loud person. SD never knew you could get tickets for noise ordinance until MD was no longer a minor and continuously got tickets for it. 

"I'm not some pretty doll, you realize that, right? Just because I'm your cousin doesn't mean I want to dress up like some IDIOT and walk around for no reason!" MD was really getting deja vu. Mettaton just really liked meddling in their life, it seemed! First, there was that party, about two weeks ago, and now some sort of cat-way show? There's enough cats around here already!! They didn't  _feel_ like prancing around on some stage while being filmed! Yeah, SD was doing it too, they were always more open to MTT's ideas, but who would even want to watch MD in the first place?? It was kind of obvious that they were the... how do they put this? The ugly cousin, they guessed. Yikes, that was harsh.

"Aw, Maddie. You know this isn't about the show, you're not actually a dummy. It's about the public eye! You're young and lovely, you've got time to get some publicity, not only for your gym, but for yourself." MD cringed. Yeah, it wasn't just the show. Ugh. What was with him and publicity? MD didn't want publicity, they was already tired of those teenagers coming over and gushing over Mettaton, about how cool he was, about how they wanted an autograph. How did word even spread so quickly about them being cousins? Teenagers have too much time on their hands, and this was so annoying, ANNOYING, ANNOYING!!!

"Anyways!! I'm not going over there today, because Undyne's coming over with Alphys and she said that I've got to get Alphys into training because I'm not as 'hardcore' as SD. Hah! I'll show her!!" Sure, they didn't TRAIN as hard, maybe, but they sure YELLED A LOT MORE!! And that had to account for something, right? They'd SCARE Alphys into shape.

"You can make time." No, they REALLY COULDN'T!! Sure, okay, fine, the two weren't due for another two hours, but so what? You can't do a cat-walk-way in two hours! That's insane, okay? "Check your texts, honey."

Oh, so now he's texting AND calling?? "Fine, fine, FINE!! Hold up a second." Scrolling through their texts, MD realized that they were actually from Alphys. Oh, and there's one from Undyne, too. MD read them out loud. "Reschedule... photo shoot...Hope to see you there??" 

Did MTT just ruin their plans for the day? Really? Did he seriously  _just_ ruin not only their plans, but their ego, by enrolling them into some cat-walk photo-shoot thing?? They didn't even know what it was!! With what could only be described as a war cry, they threw their phone at the wall. That was a mistake, seeing as the phone cracked in multiple places and glass fell to the ground. 

They cursed, still able to hear their cousin's voice through their broken device. It sounded distorted and the screen was glitched. "Call from SD's phone, I broke mine." He at least listened, so MD wouldn't have to touch that broken phone to end the call and get their finger cut from the pointy shards of glass that were still connected to the screen. And it was all his fault for making them mad!! 

The phone upstairs began to ring as MD swept up the glass. SD again poked their head downstairs, handing the phone to their still fuming cousin, now upset because they realized their phone was broken and didn't know if phones had warranty. 

"As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted us--" The only thing that saved this cellular was it being SD's, "You will be over, yes? I know a certain someone who'll you want to be watching!" Why did he singsong that? What did he know? Was it Napstablook? Were they going to be watching and cheering in their tiny voice, "Oh, that's my cousin, too..." 

Maybe SG? I mean, she wasn't really one to watch cat-walks or photo shoots, but if Fuku was interested, she may watch. Who else could it be? They must have been silent for too long, because MTT sighed his trademark  _you're **truly**  an idiot and probably don't understand what I'm going on about so I will explain it to you in basic vocabulary and speak very very slowly_ sigh. That SIGH was enough to make MD angry, so they mocked him with an exaggerated exhalation.

"I'm talking about Muffet, darling. Who else?" Yeah, they knew what he meant by that. 'Who else, it's not like you have any other friends or anything!' Honestly, though, MD was sure that Muffet was pretty much bribed to hang out with them. It was obvious in the way she acted, what with the weird way she laughed whenever they were around. Like, it wasn't like they were that funny, or anything. Why would someone that, you know, mature and elegant even want to hang out with a fresh-outta-school kid like MD anyways? How old was Muffet, even? Aaargh!!

"Hello? You there? Ugh, no matter. Just be here by two." Welp, sorry MTT, but it was one-thirty. 

* * *

"You're late." 

"Well, what did you expect? Me to just drop everything and drive seventy miles an hour to make it to your place in time? Did you expect me to not lock up shop or not bring SD or not get changed!?" Mettaton put a finger to his own lips.

"No excuses. Honestly, the show begins at four, I'm cutting it awful close here." Oh my gosh, it's the party all over again. MTT hosted these kinds of events literally all the time, but MD always evaded them. Until recently, that is. What with SD's new found "enthusiasm" (just them not getting bored and escaping these kind of things) and the inclusion of some arachnid-themed woman at these events, it would either be really rude to abscond from this, or really disappointing to the "those at home" Mettaton kept mentioning.

"I already told those at home that I'd be having you and SD as a special guest, so, it would be a let-down if you didn't show, now, wouldn't it?" MTT put on that really annoying pouty face that he probably thought was cute, as if it was able to change MD's whole stubbornness about his idiotic endeavors. 

"Look, I don't know what you're trying to pull, like, making me appreciate my self image and unleashing the potential in me, or whatever," Mettaton was obviously trying to keep a straight face, "But unfortunately, I can't kick butt in some pretty dress and I certainly can't in some checked suit!!" By then, Mettaton couldn't contain his laughter. The idea of MD in a, a pinstripe suit, with, like, a watch and, and glasses was just too funny!

"But you don't need to, you know. Currently, all you need to do is turn circles and perhaps do an interview or two! Try not to scare anyone off. Nobody knew you existed until last week, and, well, we don't need you making a bad impression." So THAT'S how word got around so quickly! Stupid Mettaton's show!

"What about SD? I mean, they're tough too. Why are you only giving me a hard time about this?" MTT pat their cheek.

"Because you're more open about your toughness, sweet. I simply cannot trust that you won't end up yelling at someone for asking you a simple question." A simple question, hah. More like dozens of complex questions like the ones on MTT's Quiz Show (tm).  They knew how vicious those news guys could be, and while they wouldn't cry on camera like Napstablook, they weren't especially fond of the idea of punching someone out on film, either. 

 "Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, uh, are there gonna be people watching me, as in, like an audience?" The thought nearly made the trainer gag. Ugh, of course there would be an audience. MTT  _lived for_ audiences. And, surprise surprise, he assumed everyone else did too. 

"Oh, just Alphys, and Undyne, and Muffet--" Why did he pause so dramatically?? Was MD missing something here? Was MTT really that excited about MD making a friend? It's not like they were lonely or anything, and it was pretty clear that the baker wouldn't even be there. I mean, from what MD could tell from just hanging around her, she was pretty work-oriented.

In fact, they never really got to hang out with Muffet, like, go bowling or get coffee or do other outing-stuff. Part of that was stubbornness on the trainer's part, as MTT constantly pressured them to go out with friends and stuff, or invite friends here and there. Reverse psychology made them avoid doing that. 

"Oh I'm inviting pretty much everyone on your gym's street. The rest will have to watch at home, I'm afraid." That meant Bratty and Catty, too. They would be completely disruptive. Those two went to school with MD, they were in the same year, but God, were they annoying!! The thought of them putting their cameras on flash and talking way too loudly was enough to make them cringe again. Why did MD have to be related to the town's biggest star? 

There were no answers, except for fate, of course. All they knew is that they had a headache and a broken phone, and that it was all Mettaton's fault. 

* * *

 Why was it the fancier clothing was, the harder it was to move in the outfit? Starched suits were definitely at the high end of the movement hindrance scale. Apparently MTT was doing some magazine thing involving "fluid fashion," which is where MD and SD came in, to show that men's fashion wasn't just men's fashion, and women's fashion wasn't women's fashion. It was all just clothes, and "It all looked absolutely beautiful on anyone." 

Well, anyone except MD, it seemed. So, these outfits were meant to bend and defy the clothes originally set for gender roles and all that. So, it was like a suit, but with heels and bangles and jewelry. And for SD, it was more like a dress with dress shoes and a watch and a bowtie and all that. Even Napstablook was roped into this, doing the music as per usual. 

MD wouldn't be lying if they said SD rocked the catwalk. With their "stoic sweetness," (as MTT introduced them) they posed for the cameras, shutters snapping as pictures were taken for the magazine. The pictures were supposed to depict Mettaton's family, and how most of them crossed gender boundaries in their own ways. So this wasn't about publicity, and it wasn't completely about "self-image," it was because he got PAID to introduce them! Of course, of COURSE.

Still, it was a really nice thing to do. MD kinda wished someone had done something like that for them when they were growing up, making a magazine that showed it's alright to not feel completely "one way or the other." It made them view MTT in a different light. Yeah, he was still a show off and still utter GARBAGE, but, you know. Not all the time. 

Anyways, that "stoic sweetness" crap made MD laugh backstage. SD wasn't stoic, they were just quiet. Seriously, they'd cry if they dropped their nice cream cone on the ground, MD knew from experience. Yeah, they were sweet, but wasn't "stoic sweetness" a little contradictory? Did MTT even know what he was saying half the time? They wondered how they would be introduced. "Oh, here's my cousin, they like to punch stuff, or whatever." That seemed about right. 

Anyways, it was obvious SD rocked the cat-walk (Cat way? Cat walk? What the heck?), because they were actually really nice looking, especially in comparison to MD. Their skin was really smooth and they only had one scar, and it wasn't even on their face, like MD, (a feat when it comes to training with Undyne) and it was pretty obvious they took really good care of theirself. They were lighter in color compared to MD, which had to be worth something, and honestly, the angrier cousin felt so inferior. 

And SD was really really good at doing events, too, like, they weren't embarrassed or anything when they had to practice these ridiculous Mettaton-esque poses backstage, unlike MD. In reality, they were just a very, very quiet extrovert with anxiety, while MD was a very, very loud introvert with anger issues. SD was good at expressing theirself when they wanted, even if they did get a little spooked at times, but they could tell someone off just by rolling their eyes when they were comfortable with someone. That took power, man. Power.

* * *

"And now, my other cousin! Their name is Madeline Dominica," Reminder to KILL MTT when they had the chance, "And with their dynamic intensity, you're sure to remember their performance." Was that a good thing? That probably wasn't a good thing. Too late, too late, they're on stage. And now they're walking! Do they even own their legs? They just kept walking, probably looking rigid. There were Bratty and Catty, and God, they were laughing. MD was sure their face was burning. Thank goodness Muffet wasn't there. But there was that weird short guy. How'd he get in here!? He wasn't on their street. 

They almost fell. MD hated these shoes, ugh. They were definitely going to fall while walking down this landing strip. Well, it felt like a landing strip, it was so long. And they were taking pictures! This is where MD was supposed to pose, right? They put a hand on their hip and immediately felt stupider. Cue that generic clicking noise of a camera. They hope their sweating wouldn't be visible. Okay, that was definitely enough posing. They continued their stiff walking, to the edge of the stage. They were so sure they were going to fall, and stood perfectly still while some guy for the magazine took pictures. 

They knew they were expected to move, or pose, but really, it was better this way. They didn't want to make any more of a fool of theirself than they already had. As soon as the guy finished taking pictures, MD darted back up the runway and behind the curtain. 

They practically collapsed onto SD. "Never again. I am never, ever, ever, EVER talking to MTT again." Their face was practically burning. That was the SINGLE most EMBARRASSING thing they'd ever been caught doing in their life. Their cousin didn't even bat an eyelash, supporting them by the arm. Mettaton was somewhere in the crowd/on the stage/somewhere where MD couldn't see him or beat the crap out of him, and he was pretty lucky for that. MD was sure they could still hear people laughing at them for just running off. In reality, only a few people were chuckling, namely Bratty and Catty, but no one else really seemed to care.

It's not like they were scared. There wasn't anything to be scared of, it was just people and cameras, after all. But they couldn't deny how embarrassed they were. They could have tried harder, maybe, but it was so... not them. Sure, they'd entertained ideas of standing in the window of a fancy store, wearing a really cute outfit, or something, but it was just a dream. They didn't have the body for that. Or tolerance for people staring at them like a freak. It would have been nice, but it really wasn't them.

After about five minutes, just as MD had finally calmed down enough to entertain the idea of  _not_ beating MTT into a pulp, they were startled out of their thoughts by clapping. Mettaton backed up to behind the curtain and turned to took at his own cousins. He gently took SD's arm. "You did a very good job, sweetie." 

Ugh, he's  _so_ condescending. Even so, SD smiled. MD rolled their eyes. "Wow, thanks. I really feel the pride radiating from you for my performance." They hoped that the contempt seeped from their voice as it did from their heart. That would show him!!!

"Actually, you did an... a.... er... A sufficient job," Mettaton stated plainly, patting his other cousin on the shoulder. "We'll have to work on it." Nuh-uh, nope. Not now, not ever. They'd never do that again, ever, ever. And they expressed it, too. "Nope. If you rope me into this again, I'll gut you, I swear." 

MTT just smiled as if he were talking to some five-year old who didn't know any better. "So you say, honey. So you say~!!" MD hated that singsong voice with a passion, and expressed it with a glass-breaking yell.  

* * *

Well, it'd be a lie if MD claimed they remembered everything that happened after that. All they really remember is being outside, after the show. MTT was there, and so was SD, and... 

What felt like ten people, holding cameras.  It was really more like two, maybe three, but they were so energetic, circling MTT and his cousins like sharks. Asking prying questions. 

"So, you're the two cousins, huh? How's business? How exactly are you all related?" Standard stuff. Stuff that MD answered with ease, until those questions kept coming. They began to see red. All these prying, poking people, only wanting to talk to them because they were Mettaton's cousin! No one would talk to them otherwise, and they'd rather that than people suddenly, magically taking an interest in them because of stupid, stupid, STUPID METTATON.

MD tried saying that this was enough questions, since SD didn't talk in front of crowds, but they just kept coming. Some of the questions were overly annoying, and those were the ones that really made MD's fist clench.

"So, what exactly made you decide not to talk? Was it a person? Is it a life choice?" SD glanced at their silently fuming cousin, imploring them for help. So, they did the only thing that they could in this sort of situation. They punched the camera guy. 

And yeah, after that, it was a blur. They remembered vaguely being grappled, and the person was pretty strong. Out of instinct, they resisted, as they had no idea why they were being subdued. But then they realized it was probably some officer, becuase, you know, they just punched someone out. So they stopped resisting, because otherwise they'd get into worse trouble.

Then they were on the ground, and then a searing pain erupted from the back of their skull. Mettaton was obviously screaming, since his scream was  _so_ girly, it couldn't have been SD or anyone else, for that matter. It was kind of embarrassing. Their head hurt so much. And then, yeah, they didn't remember anything at all. 


	3. More at Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in the hospital and realizing everyone talks way louder than necessary is really tough, but at least the hospital had the courtesy to pair MD in the same room with a soft-spoken kid. Something to do with high-maintenance patients going better in rooms with low-maintenance patients...?

MD woke up by accident. This means, of course, that they didn't really want to wake up; they were still tired. Not only that, but they really felt like throwing up and their head hurt like hell. They opened their eyes, but didn't sit up yet. 

Just as they thought, they were in the hospital just outside of town. The room was completely white and chrome, and it kinda hurt their eyes. Three very familiar people sat in chrome/white chairs. Two of them were sleeping; Mettaton and SD, that is. The last person wasn't. Muffet was reading a book. It looked big and boring. Most books looked big and boring, which is why MD actively avoided reading most of the time. 

A loud beeping noise suddenly filled the room, causing the trainer to jolt. Instantly they winced, because Satan was obviously infiltrating their skull and setting it on fire. Muffet nearly threw her book across the room and stood up, calling for a nurse. MD clutched their ears, but the winced, because their ears were scraped a little bit and also a bit too close to their head for comfort. 

MTT and SD woke up almost instantly. Ignoring the beeping, SD promptly burst into tears and the more stylish cousin stood up, striding over to MD and thrusting a finger in their face. 

"We've been wait.... here for... you dummy! An hour.... What were you  _thinking??_ This has ruined your reput.... and it's almost unfixable...! That broadcasted live, you... Ugh!" The beeping noise got progressively louder as MD gained consciousness. Wait, was MTT talking? They wondered why. What was even going on? Wasn't he just asleep in a chair? 

They must have been staring like an idiot for a bit too long, because MTT just stormed away, sat down in his seat, and crossed his legs, glaring daggers at everything. A nurse came in to check on the beeping noise. He fiddled with a certain machine that MD only now noticed they were hooked up to. Huh. 

The nurse talked to Muffet, who answered back. Something about heart rate and how MD's was abnormally high. MTT spoke up, saying something in his super annoying voice about how MD usually had a normally high heart rate because they were athletic and it's nothing to be concerned about. 

That's when MD thought it would be a great idea to mumble something about how MTT brought up their heart rate consistently, but it didn't really come out in coherent English. 

"Erm. Are they," Muffet pointed a finger at MD, "Going to be alright? Or..." She made several vague hand gestures. "They're acting rather funny, don't you think?" The beeping slowly stopped and MD could think a bit more clearly. 

"Concussion," The nurse said airily, patting her shoulder. "Give 'em a week." Muffet delicately brushed off her shoulder. "Alright, thank you." As if dismissing the nurse, she turned away. Physical contact was obviously not her thing. Nor was taking such a serious matter so impersonally. Where was the professionalism? Her job was literal pastries, and she took it more seriously than _this._

MD used to get concussions a lot as a kid. They played football with SG a lot, or went, you know, skateboarding. Without a helmet. More often than not, it seemed, they ended up here. They ended up being banned from skateboarding, football, tennis, boxing, wrestling, trampoline, gymnastics, and baseball by their aunt and uncle. Concussions only get worse the more you get them.

They tried again at forming an actual sentence without getting confused halfway. "Hey, SD." They waved at their cousin, and Mettaton rolled his eyes.  "And... Mettaton, you rea-- Realize." They stopped, started again, "This is all your fault!! You and your stupid television shows, and your pub-- plub-- publicity and all that!!" They were getting to the point where they were too mad to stumble over their words. "I'm not good around crowds, and it's not like SD could answer any sort of qu-- question, and they were getting all in my face!! Shoo!!" They waved their hands at Mettaton in the traditional 'shoo' motion. 

"And you--" They turned to Muffet, and again, struggled to form a sentence, because they didn't have anger to fuel them. "First of all, you look... a mess. She-- second of all, why are you even here?? You have a job. Go home!!" She didn't look a mess, per say, but she wasn't all made up like she normally was, nor all dressed out and stuff. She looked as pretty as usual, really. But she  _did_ have a really professional job, so she should probably be there, right? MD would be fine. 

Muffet and MTT exchanged glances. They were both much more... adult-like than the trainer, who had no idea what they were thinking. "Hon, you were..." She sighed, a standard  _let me explain this better_ sigh. For a brief moment, MD wondered if the entire adult world just exchanged sighs and if they were the only one who hadn't caught wind to that yet. "How much do you remember about all this?" 

"I punched some camera-holding guy somewhere where it hurt and then someone tackled me and I passed out," They spoke bluntly. crossing their arms on their chest and huffing. Even exhaling like that made their skull sting. 

"When you passed out, honey, it was because your skull hit the ground so hard that it bruised. It was  _this_ close to fracturing." There was a little bit of worry in her voice that MD didn't really detect because they were so, so confused.

"That makes sense. My head freaking... hurts." They mumbled, reaching up a hand to touch their skull. It was bandaged, but they still flinched. Their favorite cousin moved forwards to take their hand, concern written in their caramel face. SD was the best, and then it was Napstablook, and then Mettaton. That was the hierarchy, and people better respect it!

"Anyways, when can I go home?" The question seemed to take everyone by surprise. Again, the two "adults" (Pah!!) exchanged glances.

"Tomorrow," Mettaton seemed to promise, expressive and alive eyes dripping with sympathy. Gross. MD tried to roll their eyes, but it hurt a _lot_ more than expected and honestly they really just wanted to go back to sleep. They closed their eyes.

A small bit of rustling was heard, and the trainer hunched their shoulders in... annoyance. Every other "annoyed" gesture hurt, so this was the best they could do. A weight settled next to them on the bed, and a small, delicate hand was placed on their shoulder. One eye was opened in annoyance.

It was Muffet, and she laughed, that tiny giggle she did whenever MD did something moderately foolish or inane. Honestly, the trainer knew about fifteen different words for their actions. "Ahuhuhu~!"

Maybe it was the concussion, but that sound made their stomach do a little flip. Usually, when Muffet laughed at them, their stomach would turn. Anger, definitely. MD was FUELED by anger. Maybe they were about to vomit, or something. Maybe they should call for a nurse.

"What is it??" Gosh, were they always this loud? Probably.  You know it's bad when your own voice makes your head hurt.

"You don't need to be so high-strung, dearest. Relax." That last part really sounded more like a command. Normally, MD would have gotten ticked-- "You ain't the bossa me!"-- But right now, they were so tried and all they could do was comply. They closed their eye again, trying their hardest to relax as Muffet moved her hands around their shoulders. It really was relaxing, but when her thumb grazed their neck, they hunched up their shoulders again.

"Shh." Her tone was gentle. MD still scrunched up their eyebrows. They weren't even talking, why did they need to be shushed? Still...

They'd be lying if they said the soft tone she used wasn't comforting. The trainer felt her fingers run over the scar on their neck, and tried not to tense. That was one they tried not to think about too hard. It really hurt, and even required stitches. Yeah, just don't think about that.

They really felt like they were getting sick. Really, on top of a CONCUSSION, of all things!? Jeez, that's just their kinda luck. Their skin felt warmer than usual, their stomach was still doing that flipping thing, and they were sure they were starting to shake. Finally giving into all this, as well as their throbbing headache, they passed out.

* * *

The next time MD woke up, it was because the nurse shook them awake. Apparently they needed to wake up every two hours or so to make sure they were "stable" or something. Who needs it, who needs it, who needs it!? You know what they needed!? Sleep!!!

Their headache still persisted, a pulsing throb, and again, that white and chrome wasn't helping anything. Mettaton, fortunately, wasn't anywhere to be seen, but they could still hear his voice. That, usually, would be enough to get them riled up, but they just weren't feeling it.

The trainer craned their head a bit to see to the left. A curtain separated two parts of the same hospital room, but that curtain wasn't... curtaining currently. It was an open curtain. MD could see past where the curtain usually would be blocking...

Oh, you get the point. The curtain was drawn back!

Mettaton was sitting down next to a platinum-blonde little boy, with rather adorable pigtails. He had pale blue eyes, and sickly-looking skin. Musta been really sick. Still, the star had gotten the child to laugh a bit. Apparently Mettaton wasn't _entirely_ good-for-nothing. The trainer could almost feel a smile coming on. Almost.

Aside from that headache, MD felt better than before. They weren't shaking and they didn't feel about to throw up. Both, in their book, were really cool things. Muffet and SD were nowhere in sight, and MD was actually glad.  Their cousin needed to stop worrying so much and get some rest, and Muffet, as previously stated, had a freaking _job._

The clock on the wall told them, after a few minutes of blank staring, that it was around five thirty.

"Oh, Maddie, darling!" Mettaton really needed to shut up holy _shit_ his voice was too loud and their head already _freaking hurt like hell._ MD turned their head towards them, and the star's tone immediately faltered.

"You missed Azzie-- Asriel's guests. The mayor's wife came by, can you believe it?" He was practically gushing. They continued to stare at him, nodding once, and then shaking their head. That was the wrong response; they couldn't believe it.

MTT's expression turned from slightly excited to more than a bit strained. Honestly, MD has had so many injuries from playing sports, it was no wonder this one messed them up a little bit more. Most things healed in due time, but... some things didn't. MTT would say that MD's anger was caused by a concussion, and he would only be half-joking. His cousin just wasn't careful enough. They seemed better when they were awake longer.

There was the sound of a door opening, and Muffet strode in. So she hadn't gone home? Weird.

"Where's SD?" Their voice was oddly quiet.

"Gone home, darling. I told them to, they were breaking apart here. Oh, that's my cousin right there, see?" Mettaton pointed 'their cousin' out to Asriel, who nodded. MD exhaled, and looked down. Their poor cousin. They always stressed over things more than other people, eve though MD knew they would be _fine._ It was just a concussion, not like TBI or something.

The arachnid-themed baker set down a plate on the bedside of the blonde boy, before moving to the other side of the curtain and sitting down on MD's bed, holding out a plate of slightly-squashed something to him.

"Sorry about the shape, sweet, but children always get first priority. You know, Asriel is good friends with the little kid that lives with me." Whoa, whaa? Muffet had a kid?  Upon seeing the trainer's confused expression, she smiled and elaborated.

"I don't really know where they came from, they just showed up one day, asking for work. They... don't really have any arms, so I can't really give them that many jobs. Still, they balance a plate on their head rather well." She smiled, pride evident in her eyes, gleaming for the child under her care.

The squashed-something was a piece of cheesecake, which _rocked,_ because cheesecake was MD's absolute favorite, even if they couldn't eat it that often because it could be a bit expensive. They dug in immediately while Muffet turned on the small television above the hospital bed.

 _"Stay tuned for Subteran Scoop: Your number-one station for news!"_ More like the only station for news.

_"The top story of the day: How television star "Mettaton EX's" modelling page in the national magazine "Hope" turned from a blunder, leading to a cameraman's black eye and a concussion in the star's own cousin, to a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the star himself. More at six."_

"Wait, _what?"_ That seemed to jar MD, and they craned their head to glare at MTT. The "fabulous" cousin simply winked. MD ground their teeth. Ugh, he really got under their skin.

"Oh, yes! I'm getting the opportunity to co-host on the hit new show, 'Ebott at Eleven!'It's going to be a late show, broadcasted all over the Ebott province! Even here!" Oh. That sounded really cool, MD guesses--

Wait. 'Even here?'

"You're moving?" Mettaton's smile turned slightly strained, but not enough for MD to tell.

"Well, of course. Don't worry, I won't forget where I came from, who my cousins are and all that." That's exactly what MD was worried about.

"What about Napstablook? Do they know?" The star visibly stiffened, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"No," He snapped, before turning apologetically to the child by his side. "Sorry, Azzie darling."

"I think you should tell him...?" That was the child, Asriel. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was smiling sadly. Wordlessly, Mettaton got up and walked out of the room, presumably to calm himself.

Good riddance, MD thought. All that guy ever did was run away from his problems. Maybe they were being too hard on him, but it made their fists clnch and stomach churn when they thought on how much Napstablook depended on their cousin. It was terrible to go away without giving them a warning. MD would have to do it theirself. It was just, just, just so cruel to do.

"You really love your family, don't you?" Muffet's voice shook them out of their brooding, and after a second, they nodded.

"Yeah, I guess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heights!!  
> Muffet - 5'6 (on the night of the party she wore these oddly fitting five-inch heels MTT gave her and that's why she was taller than MD. she had to practice walking in them for like 2 hours because no one is perfect)  
> MD - 5'8 (two-inch heels that night because they're not jesus or anything like damn)  
> MTT - 5'7 (usually wears really ridiculous heels so this height is really a moot point)  
> SD - 5'3 (smol!)  
> Napsta - 5'4 (slightly less smol)  
> Shyren - 5'3 (smol!!)


End file.
